harris



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

M. 0. HARRIS.

PRINTERS. RULE CASE. No. 882,088. .PatentedlMay 1, 1888.

(No Mddel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

' I M. 0. HARRIS. PRINTERS RULE CASE. No. 382,038. v Patented May 1, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS o. HARRIS, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA.

PRINTERS RULE-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,038, dated May 1, 1888.

Application filed September 1, 1887. Serial No. 218,549. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORRIS G. HARRIs, a cItiZcn of the United States, residing at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printers Rule-Gases; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in printers rule-cases; and it has for its object to secure certain advantages over cases of the kind heretofore made. I secure these ends and objects substantially in and by the construction of rule-boxes explained and set forth in the following description, the accompanylug drawings being referred to by figures and letters.

Figure 1 is a top view of my improved rule= case. Fig. 2 is a section taken through the line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec tion through y y, Fig. 1.

A A are the sides or the rim, and B is the bottom, of the case.

0 C are partitions of full depth of the case extending from top to bottom and dividing the space into longitudinal compartments of equal width. In determining the depth and width of these divisions I am governed by the standard height of a printers rule, which at the present time is ninety two one-hundredths of an inch, and with this measure as a basis I make the-compartments or divisions of such proportionate width and depth that the diagonal of the space from top to bottom shall be less than the height of the rule, so that in no position can a rule drop below the top of the partitions, but will always stand on edge, even when but one or two rules remain in a box, as illustrated in Fig. 2'. The partitions are made of such height, also, that the top edge of the rules stands above them even when a rule drops into the greatest inclined position it is capable of taking in its box, and the top edge projects above the partition sufficiently to be readily seized by the fingers. These compartments I subdivide by the transverse partition 6, set parallel with the edge or top of the case, which bounds the top of the upper row of boxes and is parallel with the partition e, as the number of boxes to be made shall re= quire. The compartments thus formed I again subdivide by the transverse partition d,which is made in steps corresponding to the variation in length of the different pieces of rules boxes and those in the upper boxes, so that the fingers may easily seize a rule in the box of one set without interfering with the rules in the boxes above or below. These two sets of boxes are arranged for the'pieces of rules in a font varying by ens or half-sizes from one em up. For the remaining sizes of rule making up a font (the pieces cut to ems or whole sizes) the boxes may be produced by running the transverse partitions ff as shown in Fig. 1 and subdividing the lower row of boxes thus formed by longitudinal partitions 0*, set between the partitions O O, as shown in Fig. 1. When thus constructed, the boxes for the pieces out to whole sizes or ems are of onehalf the width of the boxes made for the pieces of rule out to halfsizes or en's, and by the transverse partitions f f they are made to increase in length successively by pairs, or they may he graduated to vary in single order by running the transverse partitions accordingly, or they may he graduated to any scale to which the rule is cut. The transverse partitions f f .could also be run at an angle across the case from the upper end of box 10 at the extreme right of the set to the upper left-hand corner of box 27, as indicated by the broken line a a. When so constructed, all that portion of the transverse partitions f f shown above the broken line 2 z would'be retained to form the bottom end oftheboxes in the next row above.

The intermediate boxes, F, that remain between the set I) and the set 9 are used for mitered corners (right and left) and are sufficient in size and number in each of the differentsized cases described to hold standard quan- ICO tity of corners generally found in a font of rule. The larger the font of rule the more corner-pieces, and the larger the size of the case the more intermediate boxes it contains. The order in which I place the mitered corners is indicated in Fig. 1.

The arrangement of the transverse partitions described leaves small boxes in places, which are of no particular use. These are filled up solidly, as shown at G G, &c.. to prevent accumulation of dust and dirt, or they may be left open and used as sort-boxes for the smaller pieces of rule, there sometimes being more pieces one,one and one-ha] f, and two ems in length in a font than of any other size. W'hen filled up solidly,as shown, these spaces hold the rules of the adjacent boxes a sufficient distance apart to permitthe insertion of the finger to raise them. I do not in this ap plication claim such wide partitions, however, as I propose to make them the subject of a separate application for patent.

To facilitate distribution, I form a gage, D, upon the rim of the ease and fit a projecting rest or st0p,E,to take the end of the rule when determining its size. The gage is graduated The rules are kept standing on edge and the different lengths can be selected and picked out of the boxes without trouble. The face of the rules is also less liable to injury when they are kept standing in their respective boxes.

It will be observed that the boxes are narrower than the width of the rule, and it is obvious that even when the diagonal of the boxes from one lower corner to the top edge of the box on the opposite side is slightly greater than the width of a rule the rule will not be permitted to drop flat upon the bottom of the box.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Aprinters rule-case having its boxes or compartments of less width than the height of rule, so that in no position can the rule or rules lie flat in the bottom of the case, but will always stand on edge at a greater or less angle of inclination with the bottom of the case.

2. A printers rule-case having its boxes or compartments of less sidewise diagonal than the height of a rule, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

MORRIS O. HARRIS. [L. s]

\Vitnesses:

CHAS. E. KELLY, O. W. M. SMITH. 

